Torque, releasing, safety joint for well tool strings



July 7,' 1959 K. E. WAGGENER TORQUE, RELEASING, SAFETY JOINT FOR WELL TOOL STRINGS Original Filed Nov. 5. 1953 Ill . IlI

TURQUE, RELEASIN G, SAFETY JOINT FOR WELL ,TOOL STRINGS Kenneth E. Waggener, Brea, Calif., a'ssignor of one-third each to Ross 'A. McClintoch, Orange, and Raymond E. Thompson, Fullerton, Calif.

Continuation of application Serial .No." 390,321, Novemher 5, 1953. This application January 27, 1958,. Serial No. 711,454 i -11 Claims. Cl. 255-48) This invention relates to releasable tool joints for well string apparatus. This application is a continuation application of my co-pending application, Serial No. 390,321, filed November 5, 1953, and now abandoned.

In the oil field industry, well strings of several. types are operated in wells, and, at times, the lower portion of the string may be jammed or stuck, therebypreventing the string from being readily pulled when desired. The present invention embodies a form of a safety joint which enables the operator to detach the unfrozen, or upper parts, of the string, so that the recoverable portion may then be pulled. At the same time,.it is imperative. that the safety joint beable to;withstand tensional and compressional forces as-well asbeing able to-withstand r-' tational forces in either direction, so that the well string may be manipulated in. normal operations when joined by the safety joint. 1 r

, It is an object of hisim'ention to provide a single,.practical, substantial and reliable well strings joint embody-- inga mandrel attachable to lower string-parts, and an up-.

per housing telescopable onto the mandrel, theihousing being provided with means engageable with-the mandrel,

so that the mandrel may be raised, lowered or torquej driven in either direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selfsetting latch means for'locking the housing in keyed position on the mandrel in which the latch means is trippable.

by a complementarylatch trigger if and when desired. a An additional object is to provide a combined mandrel and sleeve unit forming the interconnecting-medium between the drive housing and the driven mandrel, and in which the sleeve unit is engaged by the latch means to hold the sleeve in. interconnected position :on and with the mandrel. I -H I f I :7: c

I Other objects d adv rages will become apparent in thecourseof the following detailed description, I f

In the drawings; -forminga"portion of this application, and in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the same,

Fig. l is an enlarged elevational sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the barrel unit and mandrel locked together.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the barrel, with portions broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the spline sleeve, with portions broken away.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the spline sleeve of Fig. 4 taken on the line 5-5 thereof.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the mandrel.

Referring now to the drawings, the mandrel 10 has a bottom pin 11 for attachment to any desired lower string part or working apparatus (not shown). The mandrel has a cylindrical, reduced diameter shank 12 onto which is telescoped the lower end of a barrel, or housing, 13. A joint sub 14 is provided at the upper end of housing 13 for attachment to upper element of a well string (not shown) for raising, lowering and ro- 2,893,694 Patented July 7, 1959 tating the housing in either direction, in the usual manner of well string apparatus. Suitable packing rings 15 are disposed between the housing 13 and the mandrel sha'nk 12. l

The inner surface of housing 13"is provided with inwardly projecting, downwardly extending, and circumfer entially spaced locking, or drive, keys 16.

The neck of the mandrel shank 12 is further reduced in diameter at 1'7,'to form a plurality of downwardly and longitudinally extending'circumferentially spaced, rigid neck lugs 18, which, being" external toinandrel shank portion' 17, project outwardly therefrom. The lugs 18 are each recessed in one side to form unidirectional hook heads 19. Downwardly' extending recesses 20 are formed between adjacent lugs, each recess being open at its upper end and'ha-ving a portion 21 thereof terminating underneath the lughook heads 19. The recess portions 21 are open on the lateral side but closed at top and bottom thereof. I

The open upper ends of the recesses- 20 are comple men'tary'to thelocking'keys 16 formed in the' housing,

so that when the housing and mandrel aretele'sc'oped and rotated in one direction the locking'keys' will slide down- I wardly into the recesses and then into the recess portion 21 underlying the lug hook heads 19. .The height and width of the recess portions 21 are complementary to the height and width of the locking keys 16 so that a snug Ifit is head therein, ln'thisposition, the housing and 30 mandrel are detachably secured to one another so. that the: mandrel may be raised and lowered by the housing.

"The locking keys 16 are locked into the recess portions 21 by means of the elongate locking sleeve '22, which is slidable on the reduced'diameter shank portion 17. The

, locking sleeve is-provided at its upper end with a suitable packing ring 2 3,'nd has at its lower end a plurality of downwardly extending, circumferentially spaced splines 24; In operation, these splines slip down along the mandrel portion 17 and intothe lug recesses, or spline-' to latch'thersplin'e sleeve 22in its key locking position as follows. I I I I I {This means consists of 'a' suitable number of spring latche's 25 externally anchored on the upper end" portion of the mandrel neck 17 and having outwardly springing, top hooks 26 which r-epressibly interlock on a bead flange 27 in the bore of the sleeve 22. When the sleeve is thrust down along the mandrel neck, it snaps into interlatch with the latch hooks 26 so that the splines cannot accidentally shift upward and release the housing keys 16 In event the lower portion of a working well string should jam or freeze in the well hole, the operator has only to lower down in the tool string an. appropriate latch tripping element 28 having resilient side prongs 29 automatically expanding into repressing contact with the sleeve engaging latch 25 to hook under the bead flange 27. When the latches are tripped by the prongs, the tripping tool is raised to grapple with and lift the sleeve 22 so that the splines thereof are raised above the keys 16, in order that the keys may then be turned by the rotation of the housing to the right (looking down). This puts the keys in alinement with the splineways 20 between the several lugs 18, whereupon the housing 13 can be elevated clear from and free of the stuck mandrel 10, for subsequent operations by other means on the mandrel.

The length of the mandrel shank 12 plus the sleeve 22 effects a reliable stabilizing function on the surrounding housing 13.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the inven tion, or the scope of the attached claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A torque, releasing, safety well string joint, including: a housing having a bore within which are circumferentially spaced locking keys; at mandrel having a portion slidably received in the lower end of the housing and having fixed longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced, external lugs each of which is recessed in one side and into which recesses said keys are movable by relative rotation of the housing and the mandrel in one direction to interlock against end play and detachably secure the housing to the mandrel for lowering or raising same by the respective string; releasable locking means slidable in the housing to a position, when the keys are in the lug recesses, whereat said housing and mandrel are held thereby against relative rotation in the opposite direction; and releasable latching means for said locking means to hold the latter against releasing movement.

2. The invention defined by claim 1 in combination with a fishing device engageable with the latch means for unlatching same and releasing the locking means so that the housing may be elevated from the mandrel.

3. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the locking means includes splines for transmitting torque from the housing keys to the mandrel lugs.

4. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the locking means includes a sleeve movably fitting between the housing and the mandrel and having splines engageable with the lugs and adapted to prevent relative rotation between the housing and mandrel in said opposite direction.

5. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the locking means includes splines, which, when the keys are in said lug recesses, are slidable into a position between said keys and said lugs to hold the housing and mandrel against relative rotation.

6. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the locking means includes a sleeve slidably mounted on the mandrel and having parts holding the mandrel and housing against relative rotation, and said latching means inchides a bead within the sleeve and hooks resiliently disposed on the mandrel and engageable with said head; and a tripping device adapted to disengage said hooks from said bead and engage said head for sliding said sleeve in said housing to thereby effect release of the locking means.

7. A releasable safety well string joint comprising: a housing having a bore within which are circumferentially spaced locking keys; a mandrel having a portion slidably received in the lower end of the housing and having fixed downwardly extending, circumferentially spaced, external lugs forming recesses therebetween into which said keys are movable by telescoping and relative rotational movement of the housing and the mandrel in one direction to interlock against end play and detachably secure the housing to the mandrel for lowering or raising the mandrel by the housing; releasable locking means slidable in the housing into the lug recesses when the keys are in said recesses, whereby said housing and mandrel are held thereby against relative rotation in the opposite direction; and means for releasably latching said locking means to said mandrel, thereby holding said locking means against releasing movement.

8. A torque releasing, safety well string joint, including: a housing having a bore provided with inwardly projecting 'circumferentially spaced locking keys thereon;

a mandrel having a portion slidably received in the lower end of the 1 housing and having outwardly projecting, downwardly extending, circumferentially spaced lugs, said lugs forming recesses therebetween open at one end into which said keys are movable by relative telescoping and rotational movement of the housing and the mandrel in one direction to detachably secure the housing to the mandrel; releasably locking means slidable in the housing to a position, when the keys are in the recesses, whereat said housing and mandrel are held against relative telescoping and rotational movement in the opposite direction; and means for releasably latching said locking means to said mandrel, thereby holding said locking means against releasing movement.

9. The invention defined by claim 8 in combination with a-fishing device engageable with the latch means for unlatching same and releasing the locking means so that the housing may be released from the mandrel.

10. The invention defined by claim 8 wherein the locking means includes splines slidable into said recesses for transmitting torque from the housing keys to the mandrel lugs.

11. The invention defined by claim 8 wherein the locking means includes a sleeve movably fitting between the housing and the mandrel and having splines slidable into said recesses and engageable with the lugs to prevent relative rotation between the housing and mandrel in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7. swan? 

